This 90-Minute Weekend Indian Brunch Buffet Is Irving’s Best Kept Secret

If you’re interested in a culinary crash course in authentic North Indian cuisine, one of the best places to do that is The Delhi Lounge in Irving.

Per the website, The Delhi Lounge (which opened last December) pays “homage to the flavors of one of the oldest cities in the world,” Old Delhi. We visited during the weekend brunch buffet, which takes place Saturdays and Sundays in a limited window that runs from noon to 1:30 p.m.

At $40 a person ($20 for ages 5-12), you can experience a dazzling showcase of elevated Indian fare. We counted 24 buffet dishes in total. And for the record, this isn’t a traditional buffet where you grab a plate, get in line and start stockpiling food.

We arrived in a party of three and each got to choose one dish. When our table finished the first round of plates, we were allowed to order another trio of menu selections. And you can keep going until the noon to 1:30 brunch window closes (we went through 16 dishes total before bowing out). The dishes are tapas-style – they’re on the small side, which is by design: the goal is for the customer to experience as many dishes as possible. There are no takeaways or packing of leftovers, and an 18% gratuity is added to all tables.

The space is elegant and spacious, and the service stellar. Dishes are paraded out briskly.

We tried 16 different menu items, so we won’t beat you down with descriptions of each. But here were some of our favorites:

Eggs tikka masala toast: A poached egg and spicy tikka masala sauce on toasted bread. It’s not a combination we would have ever thought of – eggs and tikka masala – but if you’re not opposed to some heat (it is an Indian restaurant after all), it’s a fantastic combination.

Aloo tikki: Chana (chickpeas), dal stuffing, yogurt and chutneys over potato patties. Sweet and savory at its finest.

Biranj: Delhi Lounge’s rice dish of the week served with mixed vegetable raita. With Delhi Lounge’s endless well of aromatic spices, the fluffy long-grained rice here is as fragrant and as good as you’ll find. Spoon the refreshing yogurt raita over the rice or pair it with the array of other sauces (like tikka) that will assuredly come your way.

Pulled jackfruit taco: Jackfruit tikka and curry leaf mayo on a tortilla. This was one of our favorites of the entire tasting tour.

Chicken tikka and naan: Can you ever go wrong with chicken tikka and naan? We don’t think so. The tikka is formidably spicy, the chicken is succulent and the naan is elite.

Braised goat: Fork-tender goat in a delectable curry sauce. Be sure to pair this with rice or naan (or better yet, both).

Basundi with saffron (dessert): We enjoyed all the desserts (there were four), but this was the consensus favorite. It’s a velvety smooth reduced milk dessert with saffron, and it’s the stuff of dreams.

The Delhi Lounge aims for an elevated Indian dining experience (and delivers), and the pricing reflects that. The food, though, is superb. Get there at noon, bring your appetite and see if you can beat the number of dishes (16) we tallied. And just a reminder – it’s an Indian restaurant, so you already know things are going to get spicy. Bring your game face. You may sweat some, but through pain comes great pleasure.

The Delhi Lounge, 1850 Market Pl Blvd, Irving. Tuesday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.